Related articles

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis was then asked to contact Saudi Arabia and the UAE (Image: GETTY)

They quickly called their US allies who then urged the states to call off the plot.

The Intercept revealed: “The plan, which was largely devised by the Saudi and UAE crown princes and was likely some weeks away from being implemented, involved Saudi ground troops crossing the land border into Qatar.

"With military support from the UAE, they would then advance roughly 70 miles toward Doha.”

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis was then asked to contact Saudi Arabia and the UAE.